Hi, I'm Shawn, a 43-year-old father of 11 kids with a step, 4 grandchildren & a wonderful fiance, angela, that is my rock. I am seeking help with medical bills for a heart issue. I say "heart issue" because my new cardiologist said he isn't sure that what I have been diagnosed with is exactly what I have. When I was 16, I started having an issue with my heart beating super fast and irregular. I went to the hospital a few times, but they couldn't ever find anything. When I was 23 or 24, I went to the hospital again, and this time they were able to see something, put me in the cardiac ward for a few days, and started me on some meds. At that time and for a few years, I wasn't told anything as far as what was wrong with me. I was given several different possibilities, different meds, and had many, many trips to the E.R. Working became a little difficult as well as just living life. I had to keep from getting too excited, stressed, tired, and had to slow down completely, which was hard and annoying for someone with a lot of energy. Finally, in my mid-30s, another doctor tells me that I have Wolf-Parkinson-White Syndrome. He tells me I'm on medicine that is outdated and should've been used as a last resort. We change my medicine, and oh my goodness, it works wonders. I can finally have a bit of a better life, less worry, and didn't have any hospital visits for years. It seemed to be pretty well under control.

I started a new job at a factory, and I am absolutely in love with what I do. The company is the best I've ever worked for, and I'm making enough money to keep up on life. I'm also making enough that I can pay for better health insurance, which is important in my story. All these years, I've barely made enough money working low-end jobs, so I had to keep the state-funded insurance all these years. Each time I went to a cardiologist for testing, I was in the room long enough to be told, "Your insurance doesn't cover this" or "Your insurance denied it." I'd be sent off with disappointment and the hope that the medicine keeps working. Since I now pay for insurance, my new cardiologist has set me up with testing, a heart monitor for two weeks, and an appointment with a surgeon in March. I was taken off one of my pills because it was a blood pressure medicine, and I don't have high blood pressure. I was on that for years, and not taking it has made a huge difference. I used to be able to fall asleep walking, apparently due to my blood pressure dropping too low. The bad thing is that particular medicine was actually helping to regulate my heart rate, so after a week of not being on it, I had to leave work in an ambulance. I've started other meds, but they don't work as well, and I've got to keep a close eye on what I do and be careful.

I know that there are a lot of people in need and that the cost of living has made things difficult for everyone. I'm not asking or even hoping to gather enough funds to completely pay for these tests and possible surgery. I'm hoping that I can at least pay enough that the doctors are satisfied, and I just continue payments myself, but I can at least get things done. I'd like to continue to be in this world for my children and grandchildren. I'd like to be able to make a career out of what I'm doing now and retire from there. I truly do love this company and my job. If I could, I'd like to travel finally. A lot of anxiety comes with this and fear of something happening while on the road or too far from a hospital. It would be nice to ride a roller coaster, play basketball with my son, and actually get excited about something without worrying about whether or not I'm getting my heart rate up too much. I'm hoping to be around much longer. Thank you for reading my story, and whether you donate or not, I greatly appreciate the time you took to be here.

An update, I got the ultra sound done which was pretty cool to see on the monitor & a bit scary lol. I have the heart monitor I have wear it for two weeks. It's so small & not noticeable at all, I was surprised by that.

New update, on July 26th, 2025 I'll be having minor surgery to hopefully take care of any misfiring in my heart which will hopefully get me off the medicine & give me the life I've been missing for the past 20 something years. Scared but also excited.